KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- Do you know what items in your house are hazardous to your animals? That’s what you wanted to know for Thursday’s “Facebook Story of the Day.”
Most of us know chocolate is bad for dogs and cats, but other foods like onions, grapes and raisins are just as toxic.
Other types of products you should keep away from your pets include:
-Insecticides including sprays, bait stations and spot-on flea/tick treatments
-Mouse and rat poisons
-Human drugs like ibuprofen, Tylenol, Adderall and cough or cold medicine
-Household cleaners like sprays, detergents and polishes
-Fertilizer
So what are some signs you should look out for if your pet does consume one of these?
“A lot of times the first sign you'll see is vomiting and diarrhea or a very early sign would be lethargy,” said veterinarian Jenny Lindquist. “They just feel terrible and they will lie down or they will go off to hide somewhere because they just feel irregular, and they just want to go rest for a bit. But, with vomiting and diarrhea, that type of thing, those are the times to just call promptly.”
So what if you can’t get to a vet as soon as possible, what should you do?
“Typically it's the best to call and see depending on what they have ingested,” Dr. Lindquist said. “If they've ingested a household item like bleach or something corrosive like that, you don't always want to induce vomiting. But, inducing vomiting can be helpful if they have immediately ingested, let’s say a large amount of chocolate.”
Dr. Lindquist also recommends treating your animals just like you would a toddler who is curious and wants to get into things. Make sure to keep hazardous items out of reach or locked up.
If you have any other questions about this topic you may reach Dr. Lindquist at her Kirksville office at (660) 665-2719.
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